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In 2012, with the popularity of walking and cycling , it seems almost comical that we still have two on-going campaigns to get bridges built specially for cycling/walking.

Darebin Bridge

Although the fight is probably much older, campaginers along with the good folk at Bicycle Victoria have been trying to get the Darebin Bridge connecting Darebin Creek trail with the Main Yarra Trail since 2007.

Finally VCAT made a decision in favour of the bridge in 2010 but we will have to wait at least another three years (2013) before its built.. anyones guess as to why. BV tell us, they have the money, it seems this is a local Government planning issue.

8 August 2012 The permit renewal applications are in the mail and it is time for Banyule, Yarra and Boroondara to reaffirm their support for the Darebin Bridge. Once that is in place we can all direct our energy towards the Baillieu Government to Bring the Bike Budget Back and develop the Path Strategy for metropolitan Melbourne.

Darebin Bridge
bicyclenetwork.com.au

Gipps Street Bridge

The Main Yarra Trail between the Walmer St bridge in Richmond (Melway 2H F2) and Collins Bridge at Gipps St in Abbotsford is of poor quality and requires a long hill climb in Yarra Bend Park and dangerous entry points to bridges (a cyclist suffered paraplegia as a result of hitting a bollard).

At Gipps St a staircase takes trail users down to river level but restricts access to the trail for families with trailers or child seats on the bike, tandems, recumbants and anyone unable to carry their bike up or down the staircase.

Frail walkers and wheelchairs users are also prevented from using the trail.

There are two basic proposals: Continue the trail along the bank at river level behind the CUB brewery to Walmer St or a bridge crossing the Yarra River adjacent to Clark St.

3 February 2012 Bicycle network Victoria has been following up on this project and remains concerned that a state of inaction appears to have hold of the bridge. Neither Parks Victoria nor DES or the Minister's office appears to know the status of the project. Yaara City Council were also none the wiser. The ridge was recommited to by the Baillieu Government last July and is slated to proceed in the 2012/13 financial year however the project will require a vast amount of detailed design and consultation before a sod can be turned.

bicyclenetwork.com.au

$264,000

The Baillieu government has responded to sustained public pressure and committed to building a bridge that will connecta missing link on one of Melbourne's premier bike trails. More than $250,000 has been allocated to Parks Victoria to begin building a bridge across the Yarra River in Abbotsford, at a spot where cyclists currently have to walk their bikes up or down steps. It is expected the bridge will be built by 2014.

The Gipps Street steps have long been a dreaded, 42-step obstacle for cyclists on the 30-kilometre Capital City trail, an off-road bike path that loops around Melbourne's inner suburbs and provides important east-west connections north and south of the CBD. Premier Ted Baillieu promised to builda bridge in July last year in the euphoric afterglow of Cadel Evans' Tour de France victory - a commitment previously made by the former Brumby government in 2010. But the project stalled for more than a year. Anger culminated ina protest at the foot of the Gipps Street steps in July.

Yesterday a spokeswoman for Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder confirmed that $264,000 has been allocated this financial year for design and approval works for the $4.2 million bridge. It will be built at Clarke Street, near the Abbotsford Convent, just north of the Gipps Street steps.

A spokesman for Bicycle Network Victoria, which has been campaigning for a bridge since 2005, welcomed the government's new commitment.

Solway Bridge

We did have some good news in 2012.. April 2012. The Solway Bridge, destroyed when Gardiners Creek rose 5.6 metres in the floods of February 2011, has been officially re-opened.

bicyclenetwork.com.au

Anything you can do to speed up the building of these two bridges would be much appreciated..

A bridge too far in the West

26 June 2012 The slated delivery of the Federation Trail gap between Millers Rd and Williamstown Rd has ground to a halt. Bicycle Network believes that there are insufficient funds to construct the much-vaunted bridge over the freight railway line adjacent to the western end of Fogarty Avenue Yarraville. The challenge now lays at the feet of the Baillieu Government to either fully fund the project or to admit defeat and abandon riders from the areas of Werribee to Williamstown who want to access the rest of the network.

Riders have waited patiently for over three years as funding was committed and construction laboured along slowly. The path now sits forlornly, ending at a dead end half way between Millers Road and the rail corridor. Alternatives were canvassed to Hobsons Bay and Maribyrnong Councils who not only rejected the proposals but have recruited Brimbank and Wyndham City Councils who have cosigned a letter to the Baillieu Government demanding that the original alignment along the northern side of the freeway be fully funded and constructed immediately.

Minister Terry Mulder stated this week in a press release that the Baillieu Government was committed to the Millers to Williamstown section and we call upon the Baillieu Government to honour this commitment and chalk up a result.

There is strong supprt from not only local government but also local riding groups. Whilst the preferred option by all including Bicycle network Victoria is for the bridge to proceed one option which could see the project proceed is for the Minister to allow the introduction of a level crossing for the path to cross the freight rail corridor. This could save the State Government millions of dollars as the price tag on the bridge is now estimated at well over $5million. Given there are only four trains a day, the interruption to freight and risk to the community is almost nonexistent. This could see the trail proceed, utilising the carry over $4.7million of funding from 2010/11 used to not only get bikes across the rail corridor but could also deliver other sections of the missing link to get riders across to the Bay Trail and the Hyde Street path.

The orange section shown below is certainly achievable and at just over a kilometre in length may only require approximately $1million in funding.

The white section between the east end of Fogarty Avenue and the metro rail line needs invstigating and we have asked for a feasibility study to begin immediately.

bicyclenetwork.com.au

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